Ethiopia

Ethiopian Cattle

Ethiopia 

“Africa” – Upon hearing the word, a slew of images come to mind, many of which are shaped by Western media. To name a few: Serengeti plains, lions, hippos, poverty, starvation and war. Travelling to Ethiopia has never crossed my mind and I knew little about the country. The knowledge I did have revolved around the Rastafarian movement or the character ‘Starvin’ Marvin’ from South Park. Last minute flight checking for the EID October break revealed a direct flight to Ethiopia for $350. Why not?

The Good 

• Calm and relaxed atmosphere. Car honks/minute paled in comparison to the Middle East and the Rasta influence was strong.   
• The Ethiopian people are proud of their heritage and have every right to be. Ethiopia remains the only African country to have never been colonized.
• The capital Addis Ababa is referred to as the “political capital of Africa” due its significance. UN vehicles are plentiful. 
• Mountainous country with stunning landscapes. 
• Most UNESCO World Heritage sites out of any African country. 
• Over 80 unique ethnic groups, with many tribal groups still intact, especially in the southern Omo Valley.  
• Low cost services/good. 
• Unspoiled tourist scene. Ethiopia is a relatively new tourist stop.
• Unique wildlife interactions, like feeding the spotted hyenas in Harar. 
• Ethiopia is a Christian country in a sea of Muslim neighbors (Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea all border it). Alcohol is legal and khat plentiful. 

Streets if Harar, Ethiopia

The Bad

• Difficult to get around for tourists. Tourism is not developed and it can be hard to reach many destinations without hiring a driver. For example, there are no trains in the country and travelling by public bus can be….uncomfortable. 

Harar - Hyena Feeding

The Ugly

• White and travelling to Ethiopia? Expect to draw crowds of beggars, almost wherever you go. With the second highest population in Africa, there seemed to be children everywhere. The countryside was the worst for it and without exaggerating there were upwards of 200 children per day shouting “money, money, money, money!” or “one, one, one, one” at our vehicle. Some would get creative and do special dances for money. Others would get testy and block roads. The brave ones would even smack sticks against the vehicle. Piss breaks, would be rushed, since you never knew when a child would come creeping out of the bush asking for money. Impoverished? Definitely…Starving? I never did see a ‘Starvin’ Marvin” belly. By all means give what you can, but do it in a constructive manner. Volunteer your time or give money directly to an orphanage (which we did). Tossing money out of the car to impoverished children only serves to help with their next Coca Cola purchase and trains them to be beggars.